As a corollorary to OHN’s thread about underrated cover versions, which original tracks can you recommend and being superior to a more well-known cover version

As an introduction, most people know Madness version but don’t realise that “It Must Be Love” is a Labi Siffre song

and while few people know Anthrax’s Got The Time, most are still amazed to find it’s a Joe Jackson song

I already posted the Gloria Jones original of Tainted Love in t’other thread, but it’s a belter so here it is again.

The Specials version is good, but so I think this might be even betterer:

Hard to fault Aretha’s better known version, but Otis Redding’s original isn’t exactly rubbish

You’re twistin my melon man

Heartbeats by The Knife is prob better known from the Jose Gonzales cover that was used in a camera ad.

Is this where I post every original of the songs R*** W***** shat all over on his swing covers album?

This Spotify playlist has 30 hours of original versions and is imaginatively titled “Originals that are a less famous than the cover versions”

Red red wine – Ken Boothe.

Most people know that the Clash covered ‘I fought the law’, but the original by Bobby Fuller Four is a good’un.

Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You pissed all over Whitney ‘look how many notes I can hold and hit’ Houston’s version.

Louie Louie by Richard Berry.

Sorry Elvis but I prefer the original of American Trilogy by Mickey Newbury.
Simpler and less bombastic.

LA Freeway made famous by Jerry Jeff Walker amongst others.

Or Desparados waiting for a train which Th Highwaymen did

was going to say Tainted Love by Gloria Jones but beaten to it.

(Do people know she was driving the mini that Marc Bolan died in btw)

There are loads of great ska / rocksteady originals (if you like ska / rocksteady) that went on to be classics

eg:

Robert Hazard- girls just wanna have fun